Profile management system including user interface for accessing and maintaining profile data of user subscribed telephony services

ABSTRACT

A method for managing subscriber profile data for a service provided over a communications network includes receiving a subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from a client which hosts a user interface configured to allow the subscriber to view and update the subscriber profile data. The subscriber profile data is retrieved based upon receiving the subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from the client. The subscriber profile data is forwarded to the client. A subscriber request to update the subscriber profile data is received from the client. The method includes forwarding an update for the subscriber profile data to the communications network based upon receiving the subscriber request to update the subscriber profile data from the client. The communications network provides the service in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/189,168, filed on Feb. 25, 2014, which isa continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/919,155, filed on Jun. 17, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,705,718, issuedon Apr. 22, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/985,569, filed on Jan. 6, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,494,138,issued on Jul. 23, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/459,121, filed on Jul. 21, 2006, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,907,714, issued on Mar. 15, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/761,382, filed on Jan. 22, 2004, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,103,165, issued on Sep. 5, 2006, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/050,986, filed on Mar. 31, 1998,which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Patent Application No.60/042,680, filed on Apr. 3, 1997, the disclosures of which areexpressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

This is also related to the disclosure provided in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/831,892, filed Apr. 3, 1997, entitled “Apparatusand Method for Facilitating Service Management of CommunicationsServices in a Communications Network”, in the names of Larry JOST etal., the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to the field oftelecommunications. More particularly, the present invention relates toa user interface, such as a personal computer (PC) interface, foraccessing and maintaining profile data of a user's subscribed telephonyservice.

2. Acronyms

The written description provided herein contains acronyms which refer tovarious telecommunications services, components and techniques, as wellas features relating to the present invention. Although some of theseacronyms are known, use of these acronyms is not strictly standardizedin the art. For purposes of the written description herein, acronymswill be defined as follows:

Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)

Computer Access Restriction (CAR)

Common Channel Signaling (CCS)

Central Office (CO)

Calling Party Number (CPN)

Call Processing Record (CPR)

Data and Reporting System (DRS)

Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP)

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Local Area Network (LAN)

Personal Computer (PC)

Positive ID (PID)

Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

Service Creation Environment (SCE)

Service Control Point (SCP)

Service Order Assignment Control (SOAC)

Service Management System (SMS)

Service Provisioning And Creation Environment (SPACE)

Service Switching Point (SSP)

Signaling Transfer Point (STP)

Transaction Capabilities Applications Part (TCAP)

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

User Interface (UI)

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Working Telephone Number (WTN)

3. Background Information

In recent years, a number of new telephony service features have beenimplemented and provided by an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). TheAIN evolved out of a need to increase the capabilities of the existingtelephone network architecture and meet the growing needs of telephonycustomers. The AIN architecture generally comprises two networks, a datamessaging network and a trunked communications network. The trunkedcommunications network handles voice and data communications betweendispersed network locations, whereas the data messaging network isprovided for controlling operations of the trunked communicationsnetwork.

An illustration of the basic components of an AIN network environment isshown in FIG. 1. The AIN network is provided to facilitate communicationbetween a plurality of network locations or stations 72-86. As shown inFIG. 1, central offices (COs) 64-71 are provided for sending andreceiving data messages from a service control point (SCP) 56 via one ormore signaling transfer points (STPs) 51, 53 and 59. The data messagesare communicated to and from the COs 64-71 and the SCP 56 along a commonchannel signaling (CCS) network 88. Each CO 64-71 serves as a networkservice switching point (SSP) and may be equipped with CCS capabilities,which provides for the two-way communication of data messages betweeneach SSP and the SCP 56 via CCS network 88. These data messages may beformatted in accordance with Transaction Capabilities ApplicationsProtocol (TCAP).

Each CO 64-71 serving as a network SSP routes AIN-service relatedtelephone calls between a calling station (e.g., station 72) and acalled station (e.g., station 84) based on instructions received fromthe SCP 56. The SSPs 64-71 may be connected by trunked communicationlines 90 to transport voice and/or data signals. Each of the stations72-86 is connected to one or more SSPs 64-71 through private ordedicated telephone lines 93. In AIN-type call processing, theoriginating SSP is responsible for: identifying calls associated withAIN services; detecting when conditions for AIN service involvement aremet; formulating service requests or queries to the SCP 56 for callprocessing instructions; and responding to the instructions or messageresponses received from the SCP 56 to complete or terminate the call.

In FIG. 1, the SCP 56 is implemented as part of an integrated servicecontrol point (ISCP) 10. The ISCP 10 is an integrated system which mayinclude a programmable SCP 56 and a data and reporting system (DRS) 28.The SCP 56 executes software or programmed-based logic, in accordancewith a subscriber's call processing record (CPR), and returns callrouting instructions to the SSPs. The DRS 28 compiles callinginformation to be used for billing and administrative purposes. Aservice creation environment (SCE) (not shown) may also be provided forprogramming and provisioning the CPRs stored in the database of the SCP56. The CPRs define the services for each individual subscriber. The SCEmay be integrated with the ISCP 10 or provided as a separate applicationor entity. By way of a non-limiting example, the ISCP 10 may beimplemented with a Bellcore integrated service control point (ISCP)available from Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), Murray Hill,N.J., and the SCE may be implemented with SPACE, which is also availablefrom Bellcore. SPACE is a service provisioning and creation environment.SPACE stores a copy of the data in the ISCP and is the network elementused for data queries and management by the selected users which haveaccess to it. The users do not access the ISCP directly because directaccess would interfere with call processing by performing datamanipulations on the same platform. Updates made through SPACE are inputinto the ISCP immediately. The service order assignment control (SOAC)system receives all service order activity from service personnel andforwards the service orders to the SMS.

For additional information regarding AIN and AIN-related networkenvironments, see Berman, Roger K., and Brewster, John H., “Perspectiveson the AIN Architecture,” IEEE Communications Magazine, February 1992,pp. 27-32, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

A number of services have been provided by AIN or AIN-type intelligentnetworks to provide specialized call processing of incoming calls anddetailed call information. Services such as call routing, callforwarding and call logging have been provided by AIN or AIN-typenetworks. Service activation of a particular AIN service is normallyaccomplished by service personnel who receive a service order from acustomer, and then provision or create the CPR that is unique for eachworking telephone number (WTN) in the SCP or ISCP. Each customer's CPRcontains subscriber or profile data which control and/or define theservice features and parameters associated with the AIN servicesubscribed to by the customer. Modification to a customer's CPR may beperformed by service personnel based on requests received from thecustomer (e.g., by a formal written submission for service modificationor via telephone interaction with service personnel). For more “simple”AIN services (i.e., AIN services that are based on very few or limitedservice parameters), automated modification systems and methods havealso been provided to permit a customer or user to modify their serviceprofile data via a telephone connection and touch tone dialing or DualTone Multi Frequency (DTMF) response.

An example of such a simple AIN service is selective call acceptancewhich was deployed in Wichita, Kans. in 1994. Selective call acceptanceallows residential and small business customers to provide a screeninglist of 50 authorized telephone numbers and one access code in order toallow people calling from one of the authorized numbers or with theaccess code to connect to the subscriber's working telephone number. Ifan unauthorized caller calls the subscriber's working telephone number,the unauthorized caller can be routed to an alternative location ifdesired, for example, a voice mailbox. When the subscriber chooses tomodify the authorized numbers and/or access code, the subscriber eithercontacts service personnel or modifies their service profile data viaDTMF.

While such prior systems have been provided, the ability for a customerto freely access and maintain their service profile data has beenlimited. Prior attempts have relied upon the involvement of servicepersonnel or have limited a customer's ability to access and modifytheir service profile data. DTMF-based interfaces have also not providedan efficient or user-friendly system by which customers may review andrevise their service profile data. Further, for more “complex” AIN-basedservices (i.e., AIN services based on a large number of serviceparameters or including more complex sets or groups of serviceparameters) such prior attempts have not provided an effective solutionfor automated service management and maintenance. Thus, there iscurrently a need for an interface permitting users to freely access andmaintain their service profile data. A need also exists for a userinterface permitting a user to review and update their data forservices, such as AIN-based services, through a computer-based interfacewithout requiring the involvement of or interaction with servicepersonnel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the present invention, through one or more of itsvarious aspects and/or embodiments is thus presented to accomplish oneor more objectives and advantages, such as those noted below.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a profilemanagement system having a user interface that provides the ability fora customer to freely access and maintain their service profile data.

Another object of the invention is to provide a profile managementsystem for AIN-based services. A further object of the invention is toprovide such a system that does not rely upon the involvement of servicepersonnel to permit a user to access and modify their AIN serviceprofile data.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a profile managementsystem that provides an efficient and user-friendly manner by whichcustomers may review and revise their service profile data.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a profile managementsystem for more “complex” services (e.g., AIN services based on a largenumber of service parameters or including more complex sets or groups ofservice parameters), that permits a user to more effectively access andmaintain their profile data for such a complex service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a profile managementsystem that includes a user interface that permits a customer to reviewand update their profile data for services, such as AIN-based services,through a computer-based interface.

A profile management system is provided for accessing and maintainingprofile data associated with a telecommunications service subscribed toby a user. The profile data is stored on a telecommunications networkwhich executes the telecommunications service subscribed to by the userin accordance with the profile data. The profile management systemincludes a client and a server. The client hosts a user interfaceallowing the user to view and update the profile data. The serverprocesses user requests from the client to view and update the profiledata by obtaining the profile data from the telecommunications networkand forwarding the profile data to the client. The server also processesuser requests from the client to update the profile data by forwardinguser updates of the profile data from the client to thetelecommunications network. As a result of the profile managementsystem, the user can access and maintain the profile data associatedwith the telecommunications service subscribed to by the user withoutinvolving service personnel.

In a preferred embodiment, the user interface is a graphical userinterface, the telecommunications service is positive identification,and the profile data includes access codes and authorized telephonenumbers. Moreover when a calling party calls the user, the calling partyis only successfully connected to the user if either the calling party'stelephone number is one of the authorized telephone numbers or thecalling party inputs one of the access codes. If the calling party isnot successfully connected to the user, the calling party hears aprerecorded message and is subsequently disconnected. A reporting systemmay also be provided which generates reports detailing calling partiesattempting to connect to the user. The report may also indicate eachcalling party successfully connected to the user, and each calling partynot successfully connected to the user.

According to another preferred embodiment, the profile management systemalso includes an access control system which only allows authorizedusers to access and maintain the profile data. Furthermore, the user mayspecify a time when the server will forward the user updates from theclient to the telecommunications network. The profile management systemmay also include a DTMF system for accessing and maintaining the profiledata.

According to another embodiment, a profile management system is providedfor accessing and maintaining profile data associated with atelecommunications service subscribed to by a user. The profilemanagement system includes a server, a client and a telecommunicationsnetwork. The client hosts a user interface allowing the user to view andupdate the profile data. The telecommunications network stores theprofile data and executes the telecommunications service subscribed toby the user in accordance with the profile data. The server processesuser requests from the client to view and update the profile data byobtaining the profile data from the telecommunications network andforwarding the profile data to the client. The server also processesuser requests from the client to update the profile data by forwardinguser updates of the profile data from the client to thetelecommunications network. As a result of the profile management systemthe user can access and maintain the profile data associated with thetelecommunications service subscribed to by the user without involvingservice personnel.

In a preferred embodiment, the user interface is a graphical userinterface, the telecommunications service is positive identification,and the profile data includes access codes and authorized telephonenumbers. Moreover when a calling party calls the user, the calling partyis only successfully connected to the user if either the calling party'stelephone number is one of the authorized telephone numbers or thecalling party inputs one of the access codes. If the calling party isnot successfully connected to the user, the calling party hears aprerecorded message and is subsequently disconnected.

According to another embodiment, a profile management system is providedfor accessing and maintaining profile data associated with an AINservice subscribed to by a user. The profile management system includesa server, client and an AIN network. The client hosts a user interfaceallowing the user to view and update the profile data. The AIN networkstores the profile data and executes the AIN service subscribed to bythe user in accordance with the profile data. The server processes userrequests from the client to view and update the profile data byobtaining the profile data from the AIN network and forwarding theprofile data to the client. The server also processes user requests fromthe client to update the profile data by forwarding user updates of theprofile data from the client to the AIN network. As a result of theprofile management system the user can access and maintain the profiledata associated with the AIN service subscribed to by the user withoutinvolving service personnel.

In a preferred embodiment, the user interface is a graphical userinterface, the AIN service is positive identification, and the profiledata includes access codes and authorized telephone numbers. Moreoverwhen a calling party calls the user, the calling party is onlysuccessfully connected to the user if either the calling party'stelephone number is one of the authorized telephone numbers or thecalling party inputs one of the access codes. If the calling party isnot successfully connected to the user, the calling party hears aprerecorded message and is subsequently disconnected.

According to another preferred embodiment, a profile management systemis provided for accessing and maintaining profile data associated with atelecommunications service subscribed to by a user. The profilemanagement system includes a client and a server. The client hosts auser interface allowing the user to view and update the profile data.The server stores the profile data and executes the telecommunicationsservice subscribed to by the user in accordance with the profile data.The server processes user requests from the client to view and updatethe profile data by forwarding the profile data to the client. Theserver processes user requests from the client to update the profiledata by replacing the stored profile data with user updates of theprofile data received from the client. As a result of the profilemanagement system, the user can access and maintain the profile dataassociated with the telecommunications service subscribed to by the userwithout involving service personnel.

According to another preferred embodiment, a method is provided foraccessing and maintaining profile data associated with atelecommunications service subscribed to by a user. The method includesremotely logging into a server, from a client; viewing the profile dataassociated with the telecommunications service subscribed to by theuser; and if desired, updating the profile data. As a result of themethod, the user can access and maintain the profile data associatedwith the telecommunications service subscribed to by the user withoutinvolving service personnel.

The above-listed and other objects, features and advantages of thepresent invention will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further described in the detailed descriptionwhich follows, by reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention,in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the components of a conventional Advanced IntelligentNetwork (AIN) network environment;

FIG. 2 illustrates, in block diagram form, an exemplary systemarchitecture for implementing the various features and aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates, in block diagram form, another exemplary systemarchitecture for implementing the features of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates yet another exemplary system architecture andenvironment for implementing the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a further exemplary system architecture andenvironment for implementing the features of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a list of Positive ID numbers and their status asdisplayed by an exemplary user interface according to an aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates an authorized telephone number table and access codetable as displayed by an exemplary user interface according to an aspectof the present invention; and

FIG. 8 shows an activity log according to an aspect of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a detailed description ofpreferred embodiments, features and aspects of the present inventionwill be provided.

The present invention relates to a profile management system having auser interface, such as a personal computer (PC) interface, foraccessing and maintaining profile data of a user's subscribed telephonyservice. The telephony service may be a AIN-based service that includesprofile data which control and/or define the service features andparameters associated with the AIN service subscribed to by thecustomer. Through the user interface of the present invention, acustomer may freely access, maintain and modify their service profiledata without the involvement of or interaction with service personnel.The present invention also provides the ability to selectively accessand maintain complex service profile data with a user-friendly andeffective interface. When the interface is implemented with a PCinterface, one or more display screens may be provided to display thecustomer's profile data, and to permit a user to build and maintaintheir data.

The various features and aspects of the present invention are disclosedherein with reference to a particular AIN-based service, which isreferred to as “Positive ID (PID)” or “Computer Access Restriction(CAR)” herein. Although the present disclosure describes a particularimplementation of the present invention with respect to the PID service,the scope of the invention is not limited to this implementation and thevarious features and aspects of the invention may be adapted for otherAIN-based services or telephony. Changes may be made, within the purviewof the disclosure, as presently stated, without departing from the scopeand spirit of the invention in its various aspects. Further, althoughthe invention has been described herein with reference to particularmeans, materials and embodiments, the invention is not intended to belimited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the inventionextends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses.

As disclosed herein, PID is an AIN-based service that permits a user tocontrol access to their telephone or private line. PID may be used torestricts phone line access to computer systems or other proprietarysystems (e.g., PBXs, etc.) of a subscriber. According to one aspect ofPID, a screening list of authorized calling party numbers (CPNs) isstored at an ISCP or SCP. When a call is placed to a subscriber'sworking telephone number (WTN) (e.g., the number of the phone line usedto access the subscriber's computer system), an AIN query is launched tothe SCP by the serving or originating SSP in order to determine whetherthe calling party is authorized to access the subscriber's system.Authorization is confirmed when the number of the calling party islocated in the screening list of authorized CPNs. If the calling partyis not authorized, a denial message may be played back to indicate thataccess has been restricted. A screening list of override access codesmay also be stored in the SCP, to permit employees or other callingparties who are calling from an unauthorized phone number to overridethe rejection and gain access by entering one of the access codescontained in the screening list.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a profile managementsystem may be provided as a tool to PID customers for building andmaintaining their profile data, including their lists of authorizedtelephone numbers and access codes associated with their PID-equippedlines. The user interface of the invention may comprise a PC interfaceincluding client software which allows a user to access a secured serverof the PID service provider, which will accept changes made by a userthrough the PC interface. These changes may include revisions to acustomer's list that are sent to the AIN network that screens the PIDcustomer's incoming calls. According to an aspect of the invention, theserver may also automatically track log-on activity to a customer'saccount and provide reports so that a user can verify that onlyauthorized individuals have accessed their WTN.

FIG. 2 illustrates in block diagram form an exemplary systemarchitecture for implementing the present invention. The profilemanagement system of the present invention may include a PID PC client102 that serves as a PC interface for the PID user or subscriber.Although FIG. 2 depicts a single PID PC client 102, a plurality of PIDPC clients may be provided for each AIN-service based user and/ordepending on the number of users accommodated by the profile managementsystem of the invention. The PID PC client 102 may comprise PID clientsoftware residing on a micro-processor based system or personal computerplatform such as an IBM PC or compatible, preferably operating in aMicrosoft Windows environment. The PID client software may be programmedwith a high level programming language, such as PowerBuilder availablefrom Sybase, Inc. of Emeryville, Calif. and provides various displaywindows or screens for facilitating the building and maintenance of theuser's profile data. A detailed description of the functions andoperations performed by the PID client software is provided below.

The PID PC client 102 may include a modem for dialing and accessing aPID PC server 104 through a dedicated/private line or network using, forexample, the TCP/IP protocol. Messaging middleware such as “DATAGATE”(which is a message based software application available fromSouthwestern Bell Telephone Co.) may be utilized by the PID PC client102 to send and receive messages and information to the PID PC server104. Although FIG. 2 only depicts one PID PC server, depending on thenumber of users and system capacity, one or more PID PC servers may beprovided that each serve a plurality of PID PC clients. The PID PCclient 102 may communicate with the PID PC server 104 to obtain a listof the PID WTNs a user is entitled to work with, and to obtain thedetailed information associated with each PID WTN, including theauthorized telephone numbers and access codes for user maintenance,e.g., updating the tables.

The PID PC server 104 may comprise an application service to handle thePID client connections and communicates with a Service Management System(SMS) Server 204 to obtain profile data on behalf of subscribers andalso to submit subscriber orders. The PID PC server 104 may beimplemented with a UNIX-based mainframe or other type of computer,utilizing threads and software programmed in a high level programminglanguage such as C++. The PID PC server 104 may access and interact withthe SMS Server 204 via a suitable communication channel or networkconnections (e.g., a dedicated line, local area network (LAN) or widearea network (WAN)) using TCP/IP and messaging middleware such as“DATAGATE”. The SMS Server 204 may be implemented with a UNIX-basedmainframe or computer (e.g., a SPARC Center 2000 with a Solariaoperating system), and sends information to and receives informationfrom an ISCP or SCP via a service creation environment (SCE) such asSPACE. A more detailed description of the various features of the SMSServer 204 may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/831,892filed Apr. 3, 1997, entitled “Apparatus and Method for FacilitatingService Management of Communications Services in a CommunicationsNetwork”, in the names of Larry JOST et al.

As further shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the profile managementsystem of the invention may also include a PID status server 106 and PIDdatabase 110. The PID status server 106 may comprise an applicationservice to handle asynchronous acknowledgments of client ordercompletion and new PID order notifications from the SMS Server 204. Thedetailed profile data for each Positive ID WTN (i.e., the authorizedtelephone number list and access codes) may be simultaneously stored bythe SMS server 204 and in the database of the ISCP or SCP. The SMSserver 204 keeps a duplicate of the profile data stored in the ISCP tofacilitate update and modification of a user's profile data and toprovide a backup in case of system failure or outage.

The PID database 110 may store additional data required by the profilemanagement system of the present invention. For example, the PIDdatabase 100 stores information relating to orders for new serviceincluding the order status and may be used to check all activity on aservice order, including creation and cancellation. Furthermore, the PIDdatabase 100 may store indicators showing whether a specific user hasaccess to a positive ID number or is locked from access for a positiveID number.

The PID status server 106 may be implemented with a UNIX-based mainframeor computer, utilizing threads and software programmed with a high levelprogramming language such as C++. The PID status server 106 may accessand interact with the SMS Server 204 via suitable communication channelsor network connections (e.g., a dedicated line, local area network (LAN)or wide area network (WAN)) using TCP/IP and messaging middleware suchas “DATAGATE”. The PID database 110 may be implemented with a suitablestorage device or as part of the memory of a UNIX-based mainframe orcomputer system. It is also possible that several of the main componentsof the profile management system, including the PID PC server, the PIDstatus server and the PID database are implemented on a single mainframeor computer system (such as a UNIX-based mainframe).

The user interface is now described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.Initially, the user logs onto the PID PC server 104 from the PID PCclient 102. In a preferred embodiment, the log-in is passwordcontrolled. After the user ID and password is verified, a screen similarto that shown in FIG. 6 will appear. FIG. 6 shows all working telephonenumbers associated with the user's password and user ID. Then, a usermay select one of the WTNs to view, edit or delete. The screen shown inFIG. 6 also indicates a status of each WTN. If the WTN is shown asACTIVE, the date in the second column indicates the date the currentprofile data was put into service to restrict calls. When a WTN isactive, the view and edit button are available, whereas the deletebutton is unavailable. Viewing the ACTIVE status tables is particularlyimportant when trying to establish if an authorized person's telephonenumber is, in fact, on the table and also whether a given access code isvalid.

If the status column for a WTN indicates PENDING, then a file containingauthorized telephone numbers and access codes has been created withchanges in it, but those changes have not yet become effective. Pendingfiles can be created for immediate processing or with an effective datesometime in the future, which the user may select. A pending file canalso be deleted, which will completely eliminate the submitted file.When a pending file is deleted, a new pending file can be created byediting an active WTN. The status of a WTN is shown as NEW from the timethat the Positive ID service is ordered until the service establishmentdate passes.

To select a PID WTN for editing or viewing, the user highlights adesired WTN and presses the edit or view button as shown in FIG. 6. In apreferred embodiment, the screen shown in FIG. 7 will then appeardisplaying both the authorized telephone number and access code tables.The authorized telephone number table stores the authorized telephonenumber in the first column, and comments in the second and thirdcolumns. Typically, the second column will store the name of the personassociated with the authorized telephone number. The second commentcolumn (third column in FIG. 7) may be used, for example, to indicate adepartment associated with the authorized telephone number.

According to a preferred embodiment, both tables can be sorted toprovide ease in analyzing the information. By double clicking on anycolumn heading, the data will be sorted by the information in thatcolumn in ascending order. For example, by double clicking on the columnstoring authorized telephone numbers, the authorized telephone numbertable will be sorted in ascending order by authorized telephone number.By double clicking on the comments field, the authorized telephonenumber table will be alphabetically sorted by the data in the commentsfield, e.g., by name.

In a preferred embodiment, the authorized number table stores up to 500numbers, although any other maximum number of authorized telephonenumbers can be utilized depending on available storage capacity.Preferably, the authorized telephone numbers are stored in the areacode-telephone number format, which is 10 digits in length. By pressingthe add button when editing the authorized telephone numbers table, theuser may insert a new authorized telephone number into the table. Byhighlighting an authorized telephone number and pressing the removebutton, the user may delete an authorized telephone number from thetable.

In a preferred embodiment, the access code table is limited to 100entries, although any other number may be used depending on availablesystem storage. In a preferred embodiment, the access codes are 4 to 7digits in length. As shown in FIG. 7, the access code table contains onecomment field for information, such as the department, associated witheach access code. An access code can be added and deleted in the samemanner as the authorized telephone number is added and deleted.

Referring back to FIG. 6, when a PID WTN shows a NEW status, no tablesexist for that WTN. However, a user may view and edit the unpopulatedtables. New tables associated with the NEW WTN can be created by pushingthe edit button. Pushing the edit button creates a pending version ofthe tables that may be submitted to the SMS server 204 when editing iscompleted. If the PID WTN number is shown as ACTIVE, no pending fileexists for that WTN. However, a user may view the file (storing thetables) currently restricting access to the WTN and may create a newfile. After the user creates a new file by completing editing of thefile, the WTN will show PENDING status. If another user is editing aWTN's tables, then the tables can only be viewed (not edited), becauseonly one pending file can exist for each PID WTN.

If a PID WTN has a PENDING status, a file has been created with changesto the table associated with that PID WTN and the file has beensubmitted, but the changes have not yet become effective. In a preferredembodiment each PID WTN is permitted one pending file. The pending filecan be edited, but the edited version will replace the existing pendingfile. The pending file can also be deleted, which will completelyeliminate the submitted file. When a pending file is deleted, a newpending file can be created by editing the new or active PID WTN.Moreover, when a PID WTN is PENDING, the user may elect to view eitherthe active file, or the pending file. In other words, the user may viewthe file currently controlling access to the PID WTN, or the filescheduled to control access when it becomes effective.

In a preferred embodiment, when submitting files to the SMS server 204,an effective date of the submitted file must be selected. Selecting aneffective date in the future allows updates to the tables to be made inadvance of when the file is actually needed. For example, if a newemployee is joining a group in a week, the file could be updated andsubmitted, but not be made effective until the next week when theemployee is part of the group.

Once the user selects a PID WTN to view or edit, the PID PC server 104launches a query to the SMS server 204 to retrieve the tables(authorized telephone number table and access code table) associatedwith that PID WTN. The PID PC server 104 also locks the PID WTN, so thatno other user can access the tables for editing purposes, until theinitial user has completed working with the tables.

In a preferred embodiment, the authorized telephone numbers field andcomments fields of the authorized telephone numbers table are stored bythe SMS server 204, but the comment fields is stripped off prior to theSMS server 204 sending the message to SPACE. Consequently, if the useronly changes information in the comments field, the PID PC client 102sends a message to the PID PC server 104 indicating that only commentshave changed. The PID PC server 104 then sends only the comments fieldto the SMS server 204 and will mark the change as local only. The localindication tells the SMS server 204 that the update should not be sentonward to SPACE and the ISCP, but should be saved within the SMS server204.

A detailed description of exemplary interactions between the variousmain components of the profile management system (i.e., the PID PCClient, the PID PC Server, the PID Status Server, and the PID Database)is now provided. The messaging between the various components isfacilitated with messaging middleware such as DATAGATE. First, themessages between the PID PC client 102 and the PID PC server 104 aredescribed.

In a preferred embodiment, the connection between the PID PC client 102and the PID PC server 104 is via TCP/IP using either a dial upconnection or a dedicated line. Initially, the PC client may initiate alog in request by transmitting the user ID and password to the PCserver. The PC server responds by accepting the log in or rejecting thelog in. The PC client may also initiate a request to change a passwordto which the PC client responds by either accepting or rejecting therequest.

Another possible transaction between the PC client and PC server isretrieving the list of PID WTNs the user has access to, along withinformation about all pending activities to be performed on each PIDWTN. Upon receipt of the PID WTN information, the user interface on thePC client displays the information in a manner similar to that shown inFIG. 6. For a new PID WTN not yet established, which the user has yet tosubmit tables for, the PC server assigns a NEW status for this PID WTN.

Another possible transaction between the PC server and PC client isretrieving the authorized telephone number table and access code tableassociated with a specific PID WTN. As described above, the user mayview the active or pending files. The PC server's response to the PCclient's requests includes a read-only data structure if another user iscurrently working with the PID WTN's pending file i.e., the file islocked, or if the active file is requested. Note, a user may lock a PIDWTN that has a pending file, if the user is requesting the pending file.However, if the user is requesting the active view, the lock will berejected.

Another possible transaction between the PC client and PC server ismodifying the authorized telephone number table and the access codetable associated with the PID WTN. The PC server responds to the requestwith either a success or failure indication.

Another set of possible transactions between the PC server and PC clientis establishing and releasing a user's lock on a PID WTN's file.Establishing the user's lock locks the PID WTN's file from write accessby other users. In other words, a lock prevents any other user fromediting the tables associated with the PID WTN. When a user requests aview of a pending PID WTN file, the PC server locks the pending PIDWTN's file, preventing any other user from submitting modifications tothe PID WTN's file. The release lock transaction may be used to unlockthe PID WTN's file. The release lock request is sent by the userinterface on the PC client when a user has exited the PID edit screen.

A cancel pending request transaction is also possible between the PCclient and the PC server. The cancel pending request transaction allowsa user to cancel a pending request against the PID WTN. In a preferredembodiment, the user selects a specific file for canceling or a fileassigned to a specific pending date. After canceling a pending requeston a PID WTN, the user interface may allow the user to edit the pendingview (retrieved prior to the cancellation) and resubmit the request. Auser must obtain a lock on the PID WTN after performing the cancel.Cancellation of a pending file for a PID WTN that is locked isprohibited, unless the file is being canceled by the user holding thelock.

An additional PC client to PC server interaction is for status logrequests. a status log request transaction retrieves the status loghistory of a specified PID WTN, or all PID WTNs associated with a user.If a PID WTN is specified in the request, then the log for that PID WTNis returned. Otherwise, the log for all the PID WTNs associated with theuser are returned. A user may also request a date which will be thecutoff time from when the log information begins. If the date isunspecified, the PC server returns all available log information for theselected PID WTNs.

Possible PID PC server 104 to SMS server 204 interactions are nowdescribed. The PC server connects to the SMS server over a LAN usingTCP/IP and messaging middleware, such as DATAGATE. The PC server mayrequest the current or pending view of the authorized telephone numberand access code tables associated with a PID WTN. The PC server may alsorequest to update the PID tables and request to cancel the update of theauthorized telephone number and access code tables associated with thePID WTN. In both cases, the SMS server responds with either a success oran error.

Interactions between the SMS server 204 and the PID status server 106are now described. The SMS server connects to the status server via theLAN using TCP/IP and messaging middleware, such as DATAGATE.

When an order for Positive ID is received by the SMS (e.g., from SOAC),the SMS server sends associated information, such as the WTN and itsuser ID, to the status server. The status sever then inserts the new WTNinto a table storing all PID WTNs. After the successful table addition,the status server sends a confirmation message back to the SMS server.An order may also be changed or deleted. If a prior version of the orderexists, the status server resolves differences between the two versions.For example, if the prior version of the order creates a PID WTN notcreated by the latest version of the PID WTN, the status server removesthe PID WTN. Alternatively if new PID WTNs are created by the newerversion of the order, the status server adds the new PID WTNs. Therevised order is then stored in the PID database 110. If a cancelrequest is received, the old order is read in from the PID database andthe initial work for the order is undone, the order status is set asCANCELED and the order is updated in the PID database.

In a preferred embodiment, the SMS server 204 sends the messageindicating a pending PID WTN before the due date on the service orderbecause the subscriber then has time to set up their lists of authorizedtelephone numbers and access numbers prior to the effective date oftheir service. Thus, the service can be activated the same day the userbegins paying for it. In cases other than Positive ID, when the SMSserver receives a service order from SOAC, a field in the messagereceived by the SMS server should be provided to indicate the type ofservice being ordered.

The SMS server may also send an acknowledgment that the PID tables areupdated when the SMS server has processed a user requested update sentto the SMS server. In response to the acknowledgment, the status serverchanges the status associated with the WTN from PENDING to ACTIVE.

The SMS server may also send a cancellation acknowledgment to the statusserver when the SMS server has processed a user request to cancel a usergenerated file (storing the tables). The status server responds byupdating the status of the order. The status of the order is set toCANCELED.

FIG. 3 illustrates in block diagram form another exemplary systemarchitecture for implementing the features of the present invention. Themain components of the profile management system (i.e., the PID PCclient 102, the PID PC server 104, the PID status server 106, and thePID database 110) may be configured similarly to the system describedwith reference to FIG. 2. The SMS server 204 may also be configuredsimilarly to SMS server in FIG. 2, or it may be implemented with twomain interfaces (e.g., a SMS query server and a SMS O.S.S. server) asshown in FIG. 3. The SMS query server comprises an interface for the PIDPC server 104 and sends queries to the ISCP or SCP database via SPACE toobtain a customer's profile data for subsequent viewing at the PC client102. The service profile data obtained by the SMS query server (based ona request from the PC server 104) may be sent back to the PC client 102via the PC server 104. As noted above, the SMS server 204 may alsocomprise a database (not shown) for storing a copy of the profile dataof all PID customer's stored in the ISCP or SCP. The redundancy may beprovided to protect against outages or system defaults at SPACE or theISCP/SCP, and the data stored at the SMS may be updated with theISCP/SCP profile data on a periodic basis (e.g., once a day, etc.) tomaintain accuracy. When a copy of the customer's profile data isprovided at the SMS server 204, the SMS query server may query the SMSdatabase to obtain a customer's profile data for viewing. In addition, aSMS O.S.S. server (see FIG. 3) may be provided as part of the SMS server204 to handle updates to a customer's profile data (received from the PCclient 102 via the PID PC server 104). The SMS O.S.S. server may alsoinitiate and process a customer's service order (e.g., to populate orchange a user profile) and acknowledge the status of the customer'sorder (in the form of a feedback message to the PID status server 106).

Various methods and procedures may be provided for serviceinitialization and activation. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3,a user wishing to subscribe to PID may contact service personnel (e.g.,by telephone, the internet or e-mail) and request that a service orderbe placed. When placing the service order, a client may provide contactinformation to the service personnel. After collecting all of thepertinent information, the client order will be entered by the servicepersonnel (e.g., at a SOAC system terminal) and will flow to SMS forprovisioning. The SMS server 204 will then send an acknowledgmentmessage (e.g., via the SMS O.S.S. Server) to the PC status server 106 toconfirm, for example, receipt of the customer's order and that theprocessing of the order has been initiated. The PID database 110 mayinclude a SOAC order table to list a new client's order that has beenreceived and confirmed by the SMS.

Support personnel may access and view the SOAC order table of the PIDdatabase 110 via a PID administration tool 130 (which may comprise acomputer based interface for accessing and storing information with thePID database). When a support person sees that a new order is present inthe SOAC order table, the support person may contact the customer orclient based on the contact information that was provided. From the newcustomer or client, the service person may gather various information toprovision the PID PC interface feature of the invention. For example,the service personnel may obtain and setup a user ID and password forthe user of the PID PC client software, and determine the client'ssystem specifications. The service person may also confirm the user'saddress and send the PC client software to the user for installation.

The user ID and password may be provisioned and stored in an accessdatabase 120 by the support person, to provide a security feature forlimiting access to the PID PC server 104 and access to the customer'sprofile data. The access database 120 may be implemented with“Graceland”, which is an access and security management tool availablefrom Southwestern Bell Telephone, and the database may be queried andsearched by the PID PC server 104 to verify a user's password and userID before granting access to a client at PID PC client 102. Of courseany other access and security management tool can be substituted for“Graceland”.

According to another preferred embodiment, a user may choose to retrievean activity log either in its entirety or by selecting a specific WTNand/or date after which all entries should be displayed. The activitylog displays transactions related to each Positive ID WTN associatedwith the user ID. An example of an activity log is illustrated in FIG.8. The first column indicates the user associated with the activitybeing logged. In the log file shown in FIG. 8, three different users allhad activities logged. The second column indicates the WTN associatedwith the activity. The third column displays the activity. Possibleactivities for a WTN are: ACCESSED indicating a Positive ID WTN tablewas reviewed; and SUBMITTED indicating a Positive ID WTN table waschanged and sent to the SMS server 204. Thus, a modified table will showtwo log entries, one for accessed and one for submitted. Additionalactivities are: CANCEL SEND indicating a pending file was canceledbefore it became active and REPLACED indicating the pending file wasedited and resubmitted to the SMS server 204. Thus, a replaced tablewill show two log entries, one for ACCESSED and one for REPLACED.

The Date/Time column shows the date and time when the activity occurred.The effective date column, shows the date that a pending file is to bemade active or the date when another activity is made effective. In thestatus column, the status value can be PENDING, CANCELED, COMPLETED, INPROCESS and FAILED. PENDING indicates that files have been submitted buthave not become active yet. If the pending file was submitted for afuture effective date, it will remain in PENDING status until edited orthe effective date passes. If the effective date field is today's date,the file was sent for immediate processing and will show an IN PROCESSstatus until confirmation is received from the AIN network that thechanges have become active. The COMPLETED status indicates the file thatwas submitted is now effectively restricting access to the PID WTN. TheFAILED status indicates the submitted file failed. A CANCELED statusindicates the pending file was deleted before it was made active. Anyauthorized user may delete a pending file, not only the user who createdthe pending file. The Status Date/Time column indicates the date andtime the status changed to the status shown in the Status column. Thus,the activity log provides the user information for tracking changes.

According to a preferred embodiment, when the PID PC client 102 isconnected with the PID PC server 104, a time out may occur. The time outrequires a password to be re-entered after a period of inactivity. In apreferred embodiment, the period is 15 minutes. Therefore, after 15minutes with no keystrokes, the user's keyboard would lock, relative tothe profile management application, until the password is re-entered.

In addition to accessing the profile data with the PID PC clientsoftware, an interactive voice response (IVR) system i.e., DTMF, mayalso be employed according to another embodiment. The IVR system allowsthe user to add, delete and verify authorized telephone numbers andaccess codes from any location using a touch tone phone. Once theinitial authorized telephone number and access tables have been createdand transmitted via the PC interface, the IVR may be used to update theprofile data. By calling the IVR and following touch tone commands,updates can be made which become effective immediately. The IVR can alsobe used at any time to audibly review the tables of authorized telephonenumbers and access codes. To use the IVR, the user must enter a passwordand the PID WTN enabling the user to access the information. Thecombination of the PID WTN and the password will authenticate users.

While the invention has been described with reference to severalexemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words which have beenused herein are words of description and illustration, rather than wordsof limitations. Changes may be made, within the purview of thedisclosure, as presently stated and as amended, without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the invention in its aspects. Further, althoughthe invention has been described herein with reference to particularmeans, materials and embodiments, the invention is not intended to belimited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the inventionextends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses.

For example, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate, in general block diagram form,other exemplary system architectures and environments for implementingthe invention. FIG. 4 illustrates a system environment in which theinvention may be implemented, with the PC server 104 and the PID statusserver 106 residing on the same platform or entity. Although not shownin FIG. 4, the PID database 110 may also be provided on the sameplatform or system entity of the PID PC server and PID status server. Inaddition, FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary WAN-based architecture forimplementing the invention. A description of the various componentsdepicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be found in the U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/831,892 filed Apr. 3, 1997, entitled “Apparatus and Methodfor Facilitating Service Management of Communications Services in aCommunications Network”, in the names of Larry JOST et al., thedisclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments arepossible. Therefore, the scope and spirit of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments containedherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing, by a profile managementsystem, subscriber profile data for a service provided over acommunications network and subscribed to by a subscriber, the serviceprovided over the communications network being provided in accordancewith the subscriber profile data, the method comprising: receiving asubscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from a clientwhich hosts a user interface configured to allow the subscriber to viewand update the subscriber profile data; retrieving the subscriberprofile data based upon receiving the subscriber request to view thesubscriber profile data from the client; forwarding the subscriberprofile data to the client; receiving a subscriber request to update thesubscriber profile data from the client, and forwarding an update forthe subscriber profile data to the communications network based uponreceiving the subscriber request to update the subscriber profile datafrom the client, wherein the communications network provides the serviceprovided over the communications network in accordance with the updatedsubscriber profile data.
 2. The method for managing subscriber profiledata of claim 1, wherein the subscriber profile data is retrieved via atleast one intermediate system.
 3. The method for managing subscriberprofile data of claim 1, wherein the update for the subscriber profiledata is forwarded via at least one intermediate system.
 4. The methodfor managing subscriber profile data of claim 1, wherein the profilemanagement system comprises a server.
 5. The method for managingsubscriber profile data of claim 1, wherein the user interface is agraphical user interface.
 6. The method for managing subscriber profiledata of claim 1, further comprising: preventing an instance of theservice provided over the communication network in accordance with theupdated subscriber profile data.
 7. The method for managing subscriberprofile data of claim 1, further comprising: allowing an instance of theservice provided over the communication network only when in accordancewith the updated subscriber profile data.
 8. The method for managingsubscriber profile data of claim 1, further comprising: generating andsending a message in order to implement the service provided over thecommunications network in accordance with the subscriber profile data.9. The method for managing subscriber profile data of claim 1, furthercomprising: controlling access to the subscriber profile data, using anaccess control system, to only allow authorized subscribers to view andrequest updates to the subscriber profile data.
 10. The method formanaging subscriber profile data of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, from the client, a time specified by the subscriber as towhen the service provided over the communications network should beprovided in accordance with the update for the subscriber profile data.11. A method for managing subscriber profile data for a service providedover a communications network and subscribed to by a subscriber, theservice provided over the communications network being provided inaccordance with the subscriber profile data, the method comprising:receiving, from a profile management system, a subscriber request toview the subscriber profile data, the subscriber request to view thesubscriber profile data being received from the profile managementsystem based upon the profile management system receiving the subscriberrequest to view the subscriber profile data from a client which hosts auser interface configured to allow the subscriber to view and update thesubscriber profile data; forwarding the subscriber profile data to theprofile management system based upon receiving the subscriber request toview the subscriber profile data from the profile management system, theprofile management system being configured to forward the subscriberprofile data to the client when the profile management system receivesthe subscriber profile data; receiving an update for the subscriberprofile data from the profile management system, the update for thesubscriber profile data being received from the profile managementsystem based upon the profile management system receiving a subscriberrequest to update the sub scriber profile data from the client, whereinthe communications network provides the service provided over thecommunications network in accordance with the updated subscriber profiledata.
 12. The method for managing subscriber profile data of claim 11,wherein the subscriber profile data is forwarded to the profilemanagement system via at least one intermediate system.
 13. The methodfor managing subscriber profile data of claim 11, wherein the update forthe subscriber profile data is received from the profile managementsystem via at least one intermediate system.
 14. The method for managingsubscriber profile data of claim 11, wherein the intermediate systemcomprises a server.
 15. The method for managing subscriber profile dataof claim 11, wherein the profile management system communicates with theclient using TCP/IP.
 16. The method for managing subscriber profile dataof claim 15, wherein the message comprises an electronic message sentover a communications link.
 17. The method for managing subscriberprofile data of claim 11, further comprising: generating and sending amessage in order to implement the service provided over thecommunications network in accordance with the subscriber profile data.18. The method for managing subscriber profile data of claim 17, whereinthe message comprises an electronic message sent over a communicationslink.
 19. The method for managing subscriber profile data of claim 11,further comprising: preventing an instance of the service provided overthe communication network in accordance with the updated subscriberprofile data.
 20. The method for managing subscriber profile data ofclaim 11, further comprising: allowing an instance of the serviceprovided over the communication network only when in accordance with theupdated subscriber profile data.